Gainesville receiver Chris Thompson was the only Florida commit who took an official visit to UF this weekend, but there were plenty of future Gators around to keep him company.

He spent time with Florida’s eight early enrollees as well as UF commits Ahmad Fulwood and Nick Washington, who both unofficially visited on Saturday.

“I had a good time with those guys,” Thompson said. “I’m from Gainesville so it doesn’t take much to make me feel at home, but they showed me a lot of hospitality. I got along real well with Kelvin Taylor and Demarcus Robinson.”

Thompson and his GHS team made it to the Class 6A State Championship. (Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun)

His favorite part of the trip was the food and getting to know new receivers coach Joker Phillips.

Thompson said UF coach Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Brent Pease delivered their usual message to him about the need for playmakers at receiver. Phillips, however, had a different discussion with the GHS standout.

“He was telling me not to change who I am,” Thompson said. “He knows that coming to UF was dream and I worked hard to make it happen, but he says I can’t be satisfied with that. I have to stay humble and continue being a good person. He just doesn’t want me to get full of myself and says I need to keep grinding.”

Phillips encouraged Thompson to come up to the football facilities as often as possible and get an early jump on next year.

“I’m going to do any and everything I can in the offseason,” Thompson said.

The 6-foot, 170-pounder was hosted by UF junior defensive tackle Damien Jacobs, who also hosted Ole Miss JUCO defensive tackle commit Jarran Reed (Scooba East Mississippi CC). He spoke with Sun about his visit to Florida on Monday night.

About This Blog

If Zach Abolverdi had a dollar for every time his last name was mispronounced … you just made him richer. Born in Orlando but raised in Gainesville since 1990, he grew up around Florida football during the Steve Spurrier era. He once threw a perfect spiral under Spurrier’s watchful eye at his summer camp. The Head Ball Coach told him, “That’s a nice throw for a little man, but hold that ball by your ear.” The 8-year-old gunslinger replied, “I already know how to throw a football.” He didn’t appreciate the little man comment either. Zach is a Hearst Award winner and graduate of the University of Florida. He enjoys spending time with family, Denzel Washington movies and only about a dozen music artists, most of whom go by their real name. College football, the NFL, March Madness and LeBron James provide his sports fix.